Rubbish in Ghana

When browsing around Kasoa market in Ghana - especially as a foreigner - it is impossible not to be mesmerized by the many different sights and sounds amid the chaos of sellers and customers. Ladies selling beautifully patterned cloth call on you to look at their material, insisting they’ll give you a good price. Young men enthusiastically shout at you to look at their paintings, hand-made beads and necklaces or piles of shoes and slippers. The constant shouts of ‘pure water’ can be heard from every corner and the fresh smell of fried plantain and fish tantalizes the taste buds. Small children giggle and call out ‘obrouni’ (white person) as you walk past and then dissolve into fits of laughter when you call them ‘obibini.’(black person) Hawkers and shoppers push by, their purchases balanced precariously on their heads.
But in among the dozens of stalls selling everything from fresh vegetables to raw fish, from Kente cloth to second hand Western style clothing is the stream of rubbish that litters the ground with every step you take. The air is filled with the pungent vapours of stale urine and rotten food. It is often impossible to walk a few feet without getting your shoe caught up in a plastic bag or have one flutter by you in a gust of wind. It could be said that many Ghanaians don’t care about how they dispose of their waste or are unaware of how to do it correctly.
In Ghana plastic bags are ubiquitous; they are handed out with pretty much every purchase made, be it a sachet of water or six yards of material. Unfortunately they are usually tossed aside after use and can be found caught in fences or shrub and stuck to the branches of trees. In a more serious matter they often clog up drains or water resources.
Poor drainage systems and drains blocked up by rubbish were some of the reasons given for the recent floods in Accra. Although flooding is inevitable after such heavy rains, it is something one cannot help but consider; if the drains had been free of rubbish would the flooding have been quite so catastrophic.
A 2009 study by the University of Ghana estimated that about 83 percent of the population dump their refuse in either authorised or unauthorised sites in their neighbourhood, and due to weak capacity to handle solid waste, unsanitary conditions are created. Rubbish tips become a breeding ground for the spread of disease and the breeding of vermin.
I have been fortunate enough to have spent a lot of time working and travelling around Ghana. I love the genuine friendliness and warmth of the people, the stunning palm fringed coastlines that could rival any in the world and the wonderful beat of the highlife music. In 2008 I spent six months teaching at Mother Teresa School for Girls’ in Senya Beraku in the Central Region where I was initially shocked by the pupils’ attitudes to rubbish.
They thought nothing of dropping their little at their feet or simply throwing it into the bush area behind the school or out of the classroom windows. I understand that this is not the fault of the children; after all they are only doing what they have been taught and witnessed by those around them.
On a recent visit back to the school i was delighted by the presence of rubbish bins outside the classroom and the sight of small children using them to dispose of their waste. During a sports day for all the schools in Senya Beraku, the Head Mistress of Mother Teresa School ensured that after the event every pupil picked up her rubbish and there was nothing left in the area the school had occupied. Unfortunately none of the other schools’ followed this example.
I feel it is unfortunate that such a beautiful country has such an issue with the disposal of waste. Nothing is more dis-heartening than walking along a gorgeous beach along the coast of Axim, Cape Coast or Takoradi only to discover rubbish hidden in the sand and floating by the shore. In Ghana It is estimated that waste produced from plastic packaging amounts to 270 tons per day.
One company trying to make use of the rubbish is ‘Trashy Bags’, a shop based in Accra that makes bags, purses and other items out of the plastic sachets that are found on the street. Not only is this a fantastic opportunity to educate Ghanaian children on the danger of land pollution, it can also encourage them to dispose of their rubbish responsibly. It is also a small step towards keeping the streets clean and more attractive for tourists, as well as preventing the spread of disease.
During recent travels around Ghana, from the Central Region to the Volta and the Northern Region, I have been pleased by the occasional sight of rubbish skips and ‘Keep Ghana clean,’ writing on many products. I hope this is a small step towards encouraging Ghanaians to dispose waste in a way which is better for the environment.
Despite the sometimes stifling heat, the stench of disregarded waste and the constant attention from taxi drivers asking where you are going I love life in Ghana and there’s little I would change. I enjoy the daily friendly banter when shopping in the markets, the spicy food and the immense hospitality of Ghanaians, who are always willing to help their ‘white sister.’ I would only ask that one day I can walk around Makola Market without being surrounded by mountains of plastic bags and containers.